DL Lavon Johnson returning to Maryland in 2026

Ahmed Ghafir
44 minutes ago
1 min read

After entering the transfer portal, then returning, then re-entering last offseason, Maryland football officially has a familiar piece back in the fold with defensive lineman Lavon Johnson officially back with the program.

Johnson, a 6-foot-2, 311-pound defensive lineman, serves as a notable offseason win for head coach Mike Locksley and his staff as he becomes a key piece in the trenches after playing sparingly in his lone season at Texas.

After appearing in six games in 2023, Johnson became a bigger piece along the defensive line rotation in 2024 where he totaled 14 tackles and 0.5 TFLs in eight games he was available. Across two seasons, Johnson has 19 total tackles,1.5 TFLs and one sack as he was expected to step into a role left vacant by Jordan Phillips, who announced he will forgo his eligibility and enter the 2025 NFL Draft. Now, he joins Bryce Jenkins, Eyan Thomas and UCF transfer Derrick LeBlanc in the trenches with Sidney Stewart, Zion Elee and Zahir Mathis all set to return.

Johnson joins the program with one year of eligibility remaining.

Related Links